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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I know....I know...I've been MIA. And it's totally uncalled for. Okay, well not totally...my new job is very demanding of my time so posting has been out of the question. I did have a few minutes tonight though...while watching the Season Finale of my favorite show of this year, Born To Dance, I figured that I would take this time to highlight one of my fave blogger chics. I know she thinks that I've forgotten about her but rest assured Meagan, fabulosity can never be forgotten about. She's the one I look forward to visiting on Thursday's because she's vintage, she rocks killer accessories, and above all else, she's thrifty.

I started my blog, SpunkyChateau, about a year ago. I had just started reading fashion blogs and as a recent college grad who hadn't found a job yet, I thought starting my own blog would be something interesting to focus on in the absence of a job. Soon, my blog became a way for me advertise pieces I had for sale in my vintage store and eventually it evolved into what it is now. Today, I document my outfits and talk about where each piece came from but I try to focus on thrifting and introducing people to the benefits of buying secondhand. It's not only a way to incorporate unique pieces into your closet, but it recycles and lots of times the proceeds go to local charities. Each Thursday I host a photo link up, Thursdays are for Thrifters, where bloggers can show off their recently thrifted finds and outfits, in hopes that it will give like-minded bloggers a chance to network and will inspire others to give thrifting a try.

Your style is very bohemian vintage. What inspires you to style your outfits this way? Who are your style icons? My style is definitely vintage-inspired and I love to incorporate vintage into my outfits as often as I can. I think that for most people their personal style is their attempt at communicating who they feel they are to the world. I think the fact that I love vintage clothing and vintage-inspired fashion, partly, stems from the fact that I love history. I've always been interested in learning and the past has always fascinated me. A lot of the clothes I wear are inspired by the time periods I find really interesting, specifically the 1960s and 1970s. Further, I'm a bit of a music nerd and fashion has a unique role in culture in that is has been an accessible way for young people to identify themselves with subcultures and movements, especially in regards to music. So, like many people, to a degree, what I wear reflects what I identify with and value. I would not say that I have any real style icons, but I love the styles of Stevie Nicks, Elton John, Prince, and Vivian Westwood among many, many others.

You're also a big thrift shopper. How long have you been thrifting and what inspired you to start?

I've been shopping in thrift stores since I was very young. It was just something that my family did on some weekends. I always loved it and enjoyed finding bargains. When I got into high school, I became more serious about thrifting because I wanted to have unique pieces that no one else in school had. Since then, I've become even more interested in thrifting as a way to expand my closet without overspending. As I've thrifted more and more, I've found that it really has a lot of benefits and that you can find pieces that fit your style almost anywhere and in any price range if you put your mind to it.

What goal did you have in mind when you began the 'Thursday is for Thrifters' meme on your blog? I began my 'Thursdays are for Thrifters' link up for two reasons. First, I wanted bloggers who already love to thrift to get to interact and share their finds with each other, because everyone loves to brag about finding a deal and to see what their friends have found. But more importantly, I wanted to show people who don't thrift just what sorts of things you can find thrifting. I've known lots of people who look down on thrifting and I know that thrifting has a negative stigma in some communities. I wanted these people to see that you can find great pieces for such low prices and teach people how to thrift, because lots of people who have never thrifted before don't know where to start.

Vintage Wedges

What are some of your favorite thrifting tips to follow?

I have dedicated a few posts to thrifting tips and I could go on all day about this, but my number one rule is to follow your instincts. I try to walk up and down each aisle and scan the racks. If something jumps out at me, I pick it up and look at it. If you have a good feeling about something, try it on. It may take you a few minutes to figure out how to style an item, but if you're drawn to something, there's usually a reason.

Who are some other 'thrifty' bloggers that you can't get enough of?

There are sooo many girls and guys out there who are putting together amazing outfits based around thrifted pieces that it's really hard to pick, but some of my absolute favorites right now are: MyModernVintage, DressesOnAClothesline, and ThePaperBagMiss.

Where are some other places that we can find you on the web (FB, twitter, online shop)?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

For the past couple of weeks you have singlehandedly managed to take over my life! You have stolen my evenings, my weekends, and slowly but surely what little bit of sanity that I have left. Please release me so that I may get back to the blogosphere that I love ever so much.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Work is kicking my......(you fill in the dots with whichever form of expletive you feel necessary)!!

The last couple of weeks have definitely been full of late nights and early mornings for me. And I just looked at my agenda for the week and what do ya know.....meetings every single day-except Friday. That means even fewer opportunities to post. My weekends will be overflowing with the much needed rest that the week has deprived me of so outfit posts are going to be very few and far between. It's a good thing I have a couple of OOTD pics stashed away in my archives because when life presents inevitable time constraints I can just revert to my desktop, point, click, and upload! This 'fit here is a perfect example (and one of my faves):

This has been in my archives for a lengthy minute now and I thought it would be a perfect addition for this month's EverybodyEverywear 'Colored Jeans' segment.

Black is the new (insert your favorite color here) right?

I'm sure I'll be the only simpleton in the whole roundup with black bottoms on....because most people don't consider black to be colorful. But the last time I checked black was included on the list of colors to know in elementary school!! Soooo I'm gonna wear my black and be confident in the fact that I followed the rules-ok well maybe I bent them-slightly!! But fashion isn't fashion unless a few rules are taken out of context. So kudos to those of you who rock black like it's the brightest color in the Crayola box. I F'IN DIG YOU!!!

I am truly grateful for my blessings....despite the lack of Zzzzz's!

I feel like I should be able to get a pass on the black pants because one-they make me feel totally kick a$$ and two-I paired them with lots of color. It just wouldn't have been fashionably correct for me to pair this shirt with loud bottoms so I kept the lower half a bit neutral and muted so as to not look like Bozo. Here's a closer look at the Aztec-esque pattern:

Before I peace out I'm curious to know if all of you take new OOTD pics each and everyday or if some of your posts consist of pics from your archives? Is it okay to confess that not all of my OOTD posts are taken the same day that they are posted? Or is that a huge blogger no-no... a secret that I should have kept to myself?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Since school is now in full swing, I wanted to do some posts centered around just that. I would much rather be networking and meeting some of my favorite fashion bloggers at this weeks IFB Conference but since I have been called upon to do other things with my life, I am stuck here....trying to make it through the first week of school without feeling green.

I have come into contact with my fair share of teacher, professors, instructors, liaisons, and faculty members throughout my life and well....a majority of them have been 'frump dumps' to say the least. Sure teachers have a pretty boring dress code....sure researchers say that teachers should wear muted colors so as to not interrupt the brain waves of the little ones...sure teachers may be up on their feet for the better part of the day; maybe even chasing a few students down the hallway, sitting on a concrete floor, or jumping in to play with the children during recess. But by no means (and I DO mean that literally) does that suggest the fact that teachers should look like they are preparing to partake in a day of yard sale shopping. Nor does it suggest that all of today's style rules should be thrown out of the window with the cat litter.

It's very easy to stay within the lines of the 'dress code' and remain stylish:

How's this?

**AC-CESS-OR-IZE-without going overboard, you can add colorful broaches, rings, and bracelets up into the mix

**Layers on layers on layers-pair high waisted flared trousers with a stylish tank and a cardigan...you can even throw on a boyfriend blazer to really top it off. Then you can peel off layers as needed

**Less is MORE-if you must go for muted colors, at least make sure that the details are worth an honorable mention

Dress-Thrifted

Shoes-Target

I love this simple, yet effective detailing...

What was your perception of your grade school teacher?

Better yet, if you have children, what is your perception of their teacher?

Sunday, September 4, 2011

OMG....you guys! I feel like it's been FOR-EH-VER since I've last posted. But hopefully this time, I'm here to stay. I just have to be hella organized and plan my posts a little earlier. Whew....that was a mouthful! Being organized is not so much of a problem buuuutttt trying to get all of my weekly posts done on one day is the issue. After all, it's time for sccchhhhooooolllll. That means lesson plans, all day classes, meetings, moving family members on campus, extremely long lines at the financial aid office, paperwork, late night cramming, more meetings, oh and blog posts.

VCU Suite...

It's officially back to school time and as much as I would loooovvveee to post everyday, it just won't be possible without some serious time management.

Here are some rules that I like to follow:

Sit on your pocket book! Create an editorial calendar. This is a must! This doesn't have to be fancy nor extravagant! Matter of fact, a pocket notebook will do just fine. While blog surfing, I find tons of challenges and events that I want to take part in. Having a calendar handy makes it easier for me to not only plan posts but outfits too.

Prioritize your priorities! Set aside specific times for blogging. If you're anything like be-obsessed with social media-then you are surfing the 'net during any free moment that you can spare. This is no bueno and it has to stop! Make sure all of your homework, assignments, notes home, and lesson plans-basically anything with a due date-are complete before you even think about logging into your 'puter.

Production Reduction! Maybe with your new schedule you only have time to produce a limited number of posts....and that's ok. It's your blog, you do what the hell you wanna do with it, right!? But remain consistent so that your readers won't totally fall off and dismiss you. You can even call on some of your blogger friends to guest post for you if need be.

Control, Alt, Delete....TAB!!! I am the guru of tabbing. I have had as many as 15 tabs open as once. I find that I develop immediate Attention Deficit Disorder when I am blogging and tabbing is the only remedy that fixes it. It's soothing for me to switch back and forth between different tabs and blogs while I'm creating my own posts. Besides according to Marcia Tate, the average adults attention span is only 20 minutes. Did ya know that?

Lifesaver Sharing. Connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts to your blog so that they are automatically updated when you publish a new post. It save a helluva lot of time. Retweeting any of your 'favorite friends' blog posts is nice as well. (Hint, Hint)

LinkWithin

Pieces of Me...

I am a frugal Virginian who believes that your lifestyle should never be compromised for the sake of being fly. I love color and eclectic things. I love to shop. And even better, I love to thrift. I'm all about finding a deal-if it doesn't have a red tag or a coupon attached to it-I ain't buying it!!! This is a true expression of who I am.

Lifestyles of the Thrifty and Shameless is a personal lifestyle blog written, edited, and maintained by Miss Rockwell. For questions or concerns, please contact thriftyandshameless@gmail.com. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. However, if not compensated, I do and will accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations who are seeking promotion or reviews. I believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. I am not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics, therefore, the views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Thanks again for reading and I hope you've enjoyed your visit!